From Taiwo Oluwadare, Ibadan
A church in Ibadan, House On The Rock Church, has set up an empowerment foundation to assist members in achieving their dreams.
The church came up with this initiative during the Sunday service yesterday during a visit from an invited guest, Engr. Ademola Agoro.
Prior to the announcement of the empowerment program by the church pastor, Rev. Idowu Ogedengbe, the guest, who is the financier of the program, noted that such an initiative is a better palliative than food sharing around to cushion the effect of subsidy removal.
While preaching in the church, Agoro noted that value, not money, is necessary for Christians to succeed in their various endeavours. He noted that having money does not guarantee happiness because money is just a means and not an end.
Agoro, who is the Managing Director of Protogy Global Services Ltd, a power and automation engineering company, also laid emphasis on accepting Jesus Christ and having a personal encounter with Him, saying that this guarantees better happiness and joy.
He said, “Seek ye the kingdom of God and other things shall be added. I’m a giver, but I give to people who can develop their values.”
Rev. Ogedengbe, while corroborating him, urged churches in Nigeria to support and assist young people in pursuing their dreams, ensuring that their ambitions are well accommodated within the church system.
Ogedengbe identified the need for churches to acknowledge the unique skills of young talents before searching for a platform elsewhere.
He said, “The issue of people starting from the church and going astray is a result of the fact that we have not been able to recognize the unique skills of our young ones. Many of the young people couldn’t find support and assistance within the church, and the world keeps calling them.”
The clergy, speaking during a special program tagged “Empowerment Sunday,” stressed that many of the young talents departed from the church because they believed the older generation refused to see things from their own perspectives.
“Our old people believe if a child doesn’t go to school to study medicine, accounting, and so on, it would not be useful for him/herself in the near future, but we have young people that are so talented in different fields such as drama, artificial intelligence.”
“This is a challenge to the church to start seeing that we are in a new generation and that the demands of those times when we were young are different now, so we must be able to help these young people to guide and ensure that whatever their ambitions and aspirations are, they are well accommodated within the church system.”
Ogedengbe, who is also the Executive Assistant to the Oyo State Governor on Administration, added, “For me and as the executive governor has recognized, for all in Oyo State, we are seeing beyond palliatives. We are seeing something that is sustainable. Palliatives are just giving people food and at the end of the day, they finish the food and become hungry again. If you want to really help a man, don’t just give him fish, teach him how to fish himself.”
“What we are really desiring is how we can lift many people out of poverty by imparting them and equipping them with skills to create value for themselves, their families, and the state. So it goes beyond giving food, though giving food has its place, but it’s not something that is sustainable.”